We'll display the results of your search in a separate window. Each item in the search result window is a link to a page. Follow the link to that page to find the tip you're looking for.

Getting the Best Search Results

You’ll be more successful at locating the pages likely to contain the tips you’re looking for if you select the best keywords for your search and select the most appropriate search option.

Use Multiple Keywords

Enter more than one search term in your query and select "All words" (the other options are "Any word", and "Exact phrase"). "Formatting documents," for example, will return better results than would "formatting" by itself. Always include the name of the application in your search: an "all words" search on "Access data table" should filter out pages with tips about data in Excel or tables in Word.

For more exact matches, enter words that should appear together and select the "Exact phrase" option: "Excel Spreadsheet," or "Slide Master," for example. If you are looking for a tip whose title you know, you should be able to locate the page that the tip is on by entering the title and searching for the exact phrase. On the other hand, you can use the "Any word" option to conduct the broadest possible search.

Be Specific

If possible, use terms that are specific to an application. "Document," "workbook," and "presentation" are specific to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, respectively. Using any of these would probably be better than using the less precise word "file."

Keep in mind that the same words can refer to different topics. The word "tab," for example, might be found in tips about setting tab stops in a Word document or clicking a tab in a tabbed dialog box in any application. Again, you’re more likely to find what you’re looking for if you search for "all words" or an "exact phrase," including the name of the application and terms that usually go together.

Good luck!